Notebook: Rebels’ hottest hitter cools off while in Raleigh

RALEIGH, N.C. – Ole Miss catcher Stuart Turner, an All-American and All-SEC performer, was the Rebels’ hottest hitter all season.
Turner, a member of the All-SEC tournament team in Hoover last week, did not have the same level of production in his first NCAA tournament.
Turner was 3-for-12 in the Rebels’ three games in the Raleigh Regional, hitting just .250, after his average hovered around .390 much of the season.
Turner was 2-for-7 in the losses to William & Mary. All three hits in the regional were singles.
Bjork, Bianco to meet
Ole Miss coach Mike Bianco has one year remaining on his contract, and athletics director Ross Bjork said Sunday that he would meet with Bianco to discuss the future “soon.”
Bianco makes more than $600,000 annually through salary and other sources.
Bjork and other Ole Miss administrators arrived at the regional on Sunday.
Ole Miss has been to the NCAAs 11 times in Bianco’s 13 seasons as coach. The Rebels have not reached the super regional round or won 40 games since 2009.
Koehler gets stronger
William & Mary right-hander Brett Koehler faced the minimum in the sixth, seventh, eighth and ninth innings en route to his third complete game.
He gave up a leadoff pinch-hit to Sikes Orvis in the eighth, but got out of the inning with a double-play ball from Tanner Mathis and a called strikeout of Auston Bousfield.
Koehler seemed to grow stronger as the game went on.
“I feel like that’s pretty typical for me,” he said. “I usually get stronger late in games. I’m glad coach kept me out there. I got more and more confident in my pitches as the game progressed.”
Koehler retired the heart of the Rebels’ order – Austin Anderson, Turner and Andrew Mistone – to end the game.
parrish.alford@journalinc.com